Tire.



PATENTEDNOV; 19, 1907.4 M. M. MILLS.'

TIRE

. l No. 87.117678.

, .APPLIOATION FILED lSEPT. 28. 1908.

W/ 7'NE SSE S MADELEINE MERLI MILLS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1907.

Application filed September 28| 1906. Serial No. 336.593.

To 1.11 .whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MADELEINE MERLI MILLS, a citizen of the United Statea. and a resident of Kingsbridge, in the borough of Bronx, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tires, of which the following is a specification.

l My invention relates to tires, and particularly pneumatic tires such as are used for automobiles, and has for its, object to rovide` an improved protector to be a pied either between the air tube andv thes oe of a double tube tire, or to either the inner or the outer surface of a single tube tire. This protector will prevent the puncture of the tire, and will even render it bullet-proof, if made of sufficient thickness.

Reference is to 'be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 isV a cross section of a rim, a double tube tire applied thereto and one of my improved protectors in position; Fig. 2 is a plan showing a portion of the rotector spread out; and Fig. 3 is a longitu inal section through a portion of the tire and protector. i

A is the rim having inwardly turned fianges A', which form hooks for holding the lugs B on the outer case or shoe B, which forms the tread of the tire. This shoe has its inner surface made with a layer B2 of canvas or similar lfabric, and' contains the inflatable air tube C. Between this air tube and the shoe is interposed the protector comprising a layer D of canvas or like material, which is placed in contact with the air tubeC, and a large number of metal plates. tend lengthwise of the canvas strip D at the center thereof, and are hinged to each other, as indicated at E', forming what may be called the backbone of the protector. They are secured to the layer of canvas or like material in any suit able manner, for instance by rivets E2. Adjacent to each of the -plates E. at the silk-s hei-cof, are strips of hinged plates E", connected with each other at'E4 by hinges running lengthwise of the canvas D, and secured to said canvas in any suitable manner, for instance by being stitched thereto at E5. l'n the articular construction shown, there is no direct connection between thc backbone formed by the plates and the side strips formed by the plates E3,- although if desired such a direct connec- Some of these metal plates E eX-ftion might be provided by means of hinges similar `to those designated as E4. The width of the plates E3 preferably decreases toward the edffes of the strip D, so that they may be placed` close together when the protector is bent into the proper shape, as indicated in Fig. 1. Obviously, the iameter of the protector is greatest'at the backbone,

and least at the edges. Hence, the necessity for the tapered construction will vbe understood. This feature has, however, been exaggerated in the drawing for the sake of clearness.I The edvesof the plates Eanear.- est tothe edges of tche' strip D, are preferably rolled or curled, as shown at E, so that they may not cut into the tire fabric.

Q It Will be seen that the metal parts of the i protector do not engage the rubber, either of the 'shoe or of the inner tube, and thusl avoid any detrimental effect which metal might have on rubber. Fig. 1 also shows that there isa slight space between the portion of the fabric layer B2 nearest'to the tread of the tire, andthe adjacent ortion of the backbone of the protector. T ius, when the tire is flattened' at the point where it touches the ground, it simply conforms more closely to the shape of the backbone.

It will also be seen in Fig. 1 that the metallic part of the4 protector is extended inward to a point ractically opposite 'the curved edges A of t e' rim, so that there' is no point .at which a nail or other sharp object could puncture the tire without coming againsta metallic surface, which would stop its further progress. The inne most portion of the tire is protected by the rim, and the portion from the rim outward to the tread, is

rotected by the metal plates'E, E3. The ength of the canvas or other strip D should be slightly greater than the inner 'eriphery of the tire, and the length ofthe backbone should also be slightly in excess of the tire' lengith. The ends of the'stri D, and of the s within t e tire even before the inner tube C l is inflated, the stiffness of the metal parts,

and the shape ofthe shoe B being'such as to afford sufficient support for the protector.

In applying my invention to `single tub'e tires, I may place the' protector against the inner surface'of such tire, and infact Fig. 1

.may be said to represent a'single tube tire, if

We imaginethe inner tube C removed. T I'n such a case the canvas strip D might be omitted and the strips `of plates E? secured direct .to the backbone formed by the plates E.

The improved protector, consisting of the hinged plates E, E3, and-the canvas strip D, might also be appliedto the outer surface of a single tube tire, so as to formthe tread member thereof, in which case the.v edges of the canvas strip y D. would be clamped or otherwise secured between the 'tire and the rim.

I claimi l 1. A tire protector composed of a number .of metalA umts ien'bly'connected together to form a backbone and nimerous ribs extending at right from the back one to their extremities, the flexible connection between the units being arranged to permit the rib units to moveat right angles to thenbackbone, and the backbone units to move only at right angles to said ribs.

2. A metal tire protector comprisingV s.

backbone and lateral. ribs at right angl thereto, said backbone an'clribs being maf up of a series of metal units connected endr to end, the' connections between the units being such that the backbonev may bend only .at rightangles to the ribs,'and the ribs at right angles to the backbone. i

3; A A tire protectorcornprising a backbone A made up of a series of metal units hinged togetherend to end to ment of the units only on lines transverse to the length of the backbone, anda series of angles thereto, said ribs tapering permit relative movetransverse ribs. extend ing on opposite sides of said backbone, saidribs being independent of each other, and being made up of metal units hinged together to permit relative movement in lines transverse to the length of the ribs.

4. A tire protector comprising a backbone made up of a seris'no metal units connected together' end to end to per-mit `relative movement of the units-only in lines transverse to the length of said backbone, and transverse ribs on opposite sides of said backbone composed of metal units connected together -end to end to permit relative movement of the vunits in lines transverse to the length of said ribs, saidv ribs taperingl'rom the backbone to their outer, ends, means for connecting said `ribs to the backbone, the protector as 'a whole being adapted to be spread out flat with all of its parts in substantially the same plane, and being also adapted to conform to the shape of a pneumatic vehicle-tire.

5; In a double tube tire, the combination.

of the inflatable inner tube and the'shoefwith MADELEINE MERL NULS.

Witnesses:

-- JOHN Loria, A JOHN A. KnnLnNBEoK.

said prof' 

